"Ele é um químico industrial."

Translation: He is an industrial chemist.

[Agent_Gabriel]

[LotSparham]

Brilliant. Have a lingot.

[kadara_gata]

what about..."it is an industrial chemical"?

[Paulenrique]

É um produto químico industrial.

[gamorten]

Thanks. I tried asking my Brazilian wife about this and she couldn't even explain it to me.

[Paulenrique]

I see.... Being a native doesn't always help =)

[gamorten]

Thanks! I guess it's challenging to explain the rule (if there is one) for your native language. "It just is".
Do you have an explanation for if I want to say "It is an industrial chemical":
Why adding produto makes it okay? ...
Does "Isso é química industrial" as you said above mean "This is industrial chemistry" or can it mean either?

[Paulenrique]

I agree...it's sometimes hard for us, native speakers, to think of a rule =) Yes, you can say "Isso é químico industrial", but most of the time, "química" is used to refer to a subject at school: Chemistry.

According to a dictionary, química = Ciência que estuda a constituição e as propriedades dos materiais e as leis que regem suas combinações e transformações. ( = Chemistry [subject]).

By extension, it adds: "Elemento de composição.", that is, "um produto químico". =)

[daniel87359]

Can we omit "um"?

[Paulenrique]

Yes, you can.

[pillowpillar]

Why does this have "um"? Is it because it's qualified by an adjective or something?

[ZuMako8_Momo]

Possibly. In all cases, I believe that the indefinite article is optional; you can use it, even when not modified by an adjective.

[Moneke3]

Can "industrial" mean diligent?
In Latin "industria" means diligence.

[ZuMako8_Momo]

I think you are thinking of the word "industrious" which would be «industrioso». Some synonyms include «diligente» and «trabalhador», used an adjective.

[Paulenrique]

No. The word industrial is related to factory/industry in Portuguese.

According to a dictionary:

1. Que pertence ou se refere à indústria.

2. Que procede da indústria.

3. Em que as indústrias estão estabelecidas.

4. Pessoa que tem ou administra uma indústria; industrialista.

[BetsyinBrazil]

Doesn`t ele also mean it sometimes??

[Paulenrique]

But "químico industrial" is only used as a profession, so HE is the suitable answer. "Química industrial" accepts "it" (Isso é química industrial)

[JoseQu]

Hi; and how would you say all chemist that are used for industry?

[ZuMako8_Momo]

Do you mean the plural? That would be «químicos industriais».